Pinch Me Moments: The 2016 Olympics

The 2016 Olympics have begun! If you watched the opening ceremony on Friday, you’ll know that it began with as much flash and regalia as previous Olympics. Famous Brazilian singers, large-scale dance performances, Gizelle taking her final walk as a model. It was spectacular!

Now imagine being one of the Olympic athletes there that evening. You’re clothed in your official Olympic uniform – one that matches all of the other Olympians from your country. You wait for the Parade of Nations to enter a stadium packed with fans and dignitaries. And then, the moment comes: the announcer calls out your country over the loudspeakers and you follow your flag bearer into the stadium. It’s a sea of noise, lights, people. You think, “This is it! I am at the Olympics! I am in the Olympics!”

For all of the first-timers, and even some of the returning athletes, Friday night was a “pinch me” moment. One they had long dreamed of and worked hard for. Bob Costas and the other Olympic broadcasters highlighted this fact again and again. The thought stirs those of us watching. We imagine how awesome that moment must be.

But did you know you don’t have to imagine? You could be having your own pinch me moments. That’s what pursuing your bucket list goals is all about – those moments where you are thinking, is this for real? Pinch me! I can’t believe this is happening!

I experienced that this past spring when our tour bus rounded a curve and out before us spread the green hills of Tuscany, dotted with orange-roofed farmhouses flanked by slender cypress trees. I had imagined that view hundreds of times. I drooled over photos of it in travel magazines and watched the movie Under the Tuscan Sun again just for glimpses of the countryside backdrop. And suddenly there it was, right in front of me!

How about you? Are you ready for a pinch me moment? Take time to write down a goal you’ve been imagining coming true, followed by the next step you need to take toward it. Your next step could involve researching options, looking at your calendar, getting a book about it or signing up for a lesson.

Use this Olympic season as a reminder that putting in hard work toward an important goal is worth it. Each time you hear the broadcasters talk about a particular moment being meaningful for an athlete, envision your own meaningful, pinch me moment. Then do the hard work to reach it.

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Great way to tie in what we are all feeling watching these amazing athletes. I think an important aspect is to slow down and saver the pinch me moments when they happen.

Families today struggle for quality time together. I help them clarify their priorities into a list that motivates and energizes them to do authentically meaningful things together. Families who have created a family bucket list enjoy better family time, experience stronger relationships and live less stressed lives.

I'm a parenting journalist and mom of three who knows what it's like trying to keep a household running and still find quality time with the husband and kids. Family bucket lists are key. I hope you'll stick around to learn how.